Voice of Mary Lee gets trip to tag sharks in Florida

Local man who started Mary Lee the Shark's Twitter account has been invited on Ocearch's next expedition to tag sharks. (Photo: Ocearch)

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Many of you have heard of Mary Lee the Shark. The great white was tagged by Ocearch about four years ago.

Shortly after that, one Wilmington man created a Twitter account and post updates on Mary Lee’s track.

Mary Lee is a 3,500 pound Great White shark who has more than 80,000 followers on Twitter.

Jim Ware created the account years ago as just a volunteer interested in sharks. He says he’s been in connection with Ocearch before but recently they offered him to ride along on their next expedition.

It’s called Expedition Jax.

Ware, who works at the Star News, will be able to see what great whites look like up close and personal off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida.

Scientists from all over will be coming together later this month for the journey in hopes of tagging male great white sharks.

Ware will spend three days aboard watching some of the top shark scientists in the world collect information to better understand the migration patterns.

This is Ocearch’s 24th expedition. Ware says he’s very excited to a part of it.

“I see pictures, I see video, but actually being there in person and seeing the size of these things is going to be amazing,” Ware said. “It would have been exciting too, if Mary Lee had been in the vicinity, but I think she’s going to farther up north.”